The Benefits to Friendly Scheming
by DemolitionLvr
Summary: Oneshot Raven sits down for a cup of tea and a conversation with Starfire. But Star wants to talk about Raven's love life, and Raven doesn't think she has one. Starfire disagrees. Have the Titans been scheming behind Raven & Robin's backs? Pairing- RaeRob


**A/N: This is not my first fanfic, but it is my first Teen Titans fic. If anyone likes the manga Skip Beat, they should check out my other stories. The idea for this oneshot came to me in the middle of the night- about 2 am. I finished at 4am. Don't worry, I went back to edit. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

><p>"You are very lucky that your love life is so simple, friend Raven."<p>

Raven turned to her companion with one eyebrow raised in derision. She rolled her eyes and responded dryly, "Yes, I'm so very lucky to not have men fighting over me. Thanks for pointing out my total lack of romantic happenings, Starfire."

Starfire placed her tea on the table the two were sitting around and Raven did the same. Her eyes opened wide in innocence and worry. "I did not mean it like that, friend. I merely meant that it is not very pleasant for me to have Friends Speedy and Aqualad always arguing. They pay more of the attention to each other than they do to me."

"A tragedy, I'm sure." Raven found it hard to sympathize with her best friend. A month-long sort-of exchange had sent Cyborg to Titans East so that he could see Bumblebee- none of his other excuses had fooled anyone- and brought Speedy and Aqualad to the Titans West. The two boys were treating it like a vacation from Bumblebee's dictatorship. She was apparently so harsh as to make Robin seem lax in his training regimen. Everyone hoped that he wouldn't find out or their work would be doubled.

Training or no, the two had immediately, upon arriving at Titan's Tower, struck up a rivalry for Starfire's affections. Neither had true feelings for her, and Raven had warned Starfire of this as soon as her empathic powers had detected the insincerity, but Starfire had decided to enjoy their attentions such as they were- flowers, gifts and romantic dinners- so Raven figured Star could handle their petty bickering.

Raven looked at the miffed Tamaranean and asked, "So those numbskulls are the only reason you look so gloomy? I feel like I've wasted a good cup of tea on boy problems," she teased.

Starfire recognized the slight twitch at the corner of Raven's mouth that meant she was making a joke and smiled fully in response. "The tea is quite delicious, friend. But this reminds me of something I have been wishing to speak with you about recently."

Starfire looked around the oddly empty common room conspiratorially, making Raven raise her eyebrow again, this time in curiosity.

Starfire, finally deciding that the room was indeed empty, since all the boys had gone out to the obstacle course, trying to beat each other in some ongoing competition of pride that no one would ever win, leaned towards Raven and asked, "Is your love life as boring as it seems friend Raven?"

Raven's face remained stoic despite her surprise at the strange question. She answered sarcastically yet again without missing a beat, "Actually, no, I've been having affairs with our enemies, but I couldn't tell you guys, because Robin would get really mad if he found out I was sleeping with Red X."

Starfire stared at Raven's set face for ten seconds, and started laughing. Her mirth proved contagious as Raven started laughing with her over her ridiculous statement. They laughed together, doubled-over, until Raven's powers suddenly lashed out and broke the toaster. She immediately sobered, while Star took a moment to catch her break and wipe a tear from her eye.

"Why the weird question, Star? Of course my love life is non-existent."

Starfire's eyes got a faraway look, "That is a bit of a shame; Red X has a nice body."

Raven smiled just slightly. "Yeah, he certainly does."_ Especially when it was Robin in the suit_, she thought and almost blushed.

"Actually, I asked you this because I had hoped that Robin would have 'made the move' as I believe it is called."

Raven's brows contracted in confusion. "Made what move?"

"The move where he confessed his love to you!" Starfire's eyes seemed to turn into hearts as she imagined her two favorite people in love with each other. Nothing could be more perfect for her two best friends.

"Whoa, Star, stop. What are you talking about? Robin doesn't love me. I thought he was part of the 'Great Battle for Starfire.' Isn't that what they're fighting out there right now?"

Green eyes opened wide once again. "Oh no, friend Raven, that is merely what they call a 'brotherly rivalry.' It has nothing to do with me! Beast Boy is not at all interested in me as more than a friend, and Robin most certainly holds 'the feelings' for you! Speedy and Aqualad are the first people to show interest in me in that way."

"That I must disagree with. Robin definitely had a big crush on you. I mean, you guys got together in Tokyo, didn't you?"

"Yes, but that was more than an Earth-year ago, and after a few days of acting like a couple we found it quite awkward and decided to remain merely friends. Robin called it a 'young crush' and said that they hardly ever amounted to a good relationship."

"Is that so? Well what makes you think he now has any interest in me?" Raven held her cynicism tightly as a shield against hope. Unjustified hope, she knew, opened her up for disappointment, and she knew all too well that such unbalances could mess up her emotional control for several days at least.

"It is not that he now suddenly shows interest; it is that he always has. That was partly the reason that we were so awkward- he watches you. He is always aware of you around him, friend. Is that not a sign that you have captured his heart?"

Raven sighed. "I hate to break it to you Star, but the Boy Wonder is always aware of everyone like that; it's a fighting instinct thing."

"Friend Raven, he never paid as much attention to me as he does to you. He seems to notice everything about you. Once I offered to make you tea but I couldn't remember which tea bags you used in the morning and whether you took is as 'the black' or with milk or sugar. Robin knew exactly how you did it, and in fact made the tea for you."

Unimpressed Raven replied, "So he knows how I drink my tea. That's not a big deal."

"You should trust me friend Raven. After our parting I paid much of the attention to Robin, and he was always paying the attention to you and no one else. I strongly believe that he has the feelings for you, and I had thought that he would express them very soon. Maybe he has not yet, but he most certainly will in time." Starfire's face implore Raven to believe her.

Even Raven couldn't resist such strong unshakeable belief. Hope finally started to creep in.

"Now the question is," Starfire continued, "Do you have the feelings for friend Robin?"

Raven blushed brightly. She reigned in the embarrassment before she smashed more appliances. "No, of course not, he's out leader."

Starfire smirked slyly, "Our leader to whom you do the 'checking out' whenever he enters a room."

Raven's blush returned and she half squealed in protest, "I do not check out Robin!" A gentle crash alerted Raven to the destruction of her tea cup. Luckily the tea had gone cold during their conversation and didn't burn her.

As she wiped the cold tea up with a napkin she said, "I mean, sure he's attractive, and smart and funny and sweet, but he's my team leader, and that just wouldn't be right. Besides, if he wasn't happy with you why would he be happy with just me?"

"Friend, you do not have very much of the esteem of self, do you? That is very silly, as you are an incredible and gorgeous woman, and any man who had you would consider himself blessed with the honor."

"Well thanks Star."

"So you'll admit that you love friend Robin?"

"I never said that."

"But I can tell."

Raven sighed at Starfire's smug smile. "Ok, so I have feelings for Robin. Can you blame me?"

"Not at all." She giggled. "See Raven, your love life is not so very boring as you thought."

"I guess not. But nothing is going to change unless Robin makes a move. I don't want to mess up our friendship by saying something."

"Worry not, friend Raven. I believe you shall receive friend Robin's addresses very soon."

At that moment the main door to the common room slid open with a hiss, allowing four muddy boys to track their dirt on the carpet inside. Robin and Aqualad were the only two who had the courtesy to wipe their feet on the mat before stepping in. Speedy and Beast Boy sped right to the couch- a new challenge had been issued, but this one on a video game, rather than the obstacle course.

Robin made a beeline for the girls at the kitchen table. He leaned towards Raven and quietly asked her if he could speak with her in private. Raven immediately smelled a conspiracy from her friends, but decided to allow it to happen. She nodded, and she followed him back out the door and they moved down the hall to find some solitude.

The four remaining Titans in the common room grinned at each other. Speedy looked to Starfire and inquired, "I take it you got a favorable report?"

"Indeed, Raven has the feelings for Robin. How did it go with him?"

Beast Boy snorted, "Oh he's so deep in it, it was hard to listen to him gush about her. We didn't really have to say much to convince him to ask her out."

"Glorious!" The Red-headed alien exclaimed. "I shall start preparations for the pudding of celebration!"

"Uh, Star," Aqualad stopped her from storming the kitchen as if it were a battlefield, "Why don't you just call Cyborg and let him know how the plan went? It was his idea after all."

"Even more glorious! Excellent idea, friend Aqualad."

The door reopened at that moment to reveal Raven with Robin right beside her, his arm tight around her waist. "Plan, eh?" she intoned in what almost sounded like amusement, the threat so subtle that only the Titans, who had known her for years, would have recognized it. Robin smiled, amused by her reaction and the fact that they had been set up by their friends.

The three boys all got slightly paler, but Starfire flew towards the couple with her hands clasped together in happiness. "Oh friends, the plan was successful, this is the most glorious thing of all!"

Ever to be worn down by Starfire's enthusiasm, Raven's eyes softened and she said, "Thanks, Star."

However, she turned back to the still frozen boys and informed them coldly that if they ever pulled a stunt like that with her life again that she would not be so very forgiving. They shuddered as Robin laughed and led his new girlfriend to the couch and turned on what he knew was Raven's movie.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please review and tell me your thoughts. I have ideas for other TT fics. I'll write them if I get enough reviews for this test drive. So Review Review Review! Cheers**


End file.
